India vs. South Africa: Winners and Losers from 5th ODI
South Africa claimed an emphatic 214-run win over hosts India in Mumbai on Sunday. With it, they win the ODI series 2-3—their maiden ODI series win on Indian soil.
The visiting batsmen notched up a massive 438 for four with Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers the stars of the show.
It was a clinical performance from South Africa, and we’ve picked out some winners and losers. Add yours in the comments.
Winner: AB de Villiers
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Yes, three batsmen scored hundreds and AB de Villiers was just one of them, but it’s the way in which he scored that hundred that singles him out.
We already know that De Villiers is one of the best, if not the best, batsman in world cricket at the moment. His shot selection, timing and ability to find space all around the wicket is completely unmatched.
While India’s bowlers did bowl poorly, De Villiers' ability to execute every single shot he picks is simply extraordinary.
Loser: Cramps
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Faf du Plessis was going along steadily before he started to cramp.
Quinton de Kock struggled with the heat before, but Du Plessis was completely floored. He had to stop and take a break on more than one occasion—most notably when MS Dhoni came to his stretching rescue.
Du Plessis eventually retired hurt but very nearly had to be dragged off. South Africa still managed a massive total, but had he not cramped up, one fears what might have happened to that total.
Winner: South Africa’s Quick Bowlers
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Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada have been exemplary on this tour, and for the first time, Kyle Abbott got a chance, too.
Forget the reputation of Indian tracks for being spin friendly, it's the quicks who did the damage for the visitors.
The seamers picked up eight wickets between them, and young Kagiso Rabada was pushing the 150 km/h mark on more than one occasion.
It'll be far more challenging to do this over five days, but early signs are there that South Africa's fast bowlers have found their mojo ahead of the very important Test series.
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Loser: India’s Quick Bowlers
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In stark contrast with South Africa, India’s quicks were hammered.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohit Sharma conceded almost 200 runs between them and picked up a solitary wicket each.
Sometimes you just have a bad day at the office, but the two seam bowlers can’t even blame the pitch—South Africa’s bowlers showed that it’s all about crafty areas.
Winner: Ajinkya Rahane
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India suffered a batting collapse of epic proportions, but Ajinkya Rahane stood firm with his 87 off 58. With 247 runs in this series, including three fifties, he was one of India's most consistent batsmen.
This kind of form will do him good heading into the Test series.
Winner: The Case for Series with Context
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The fifth and final ODI had some sort of context: the winner would win the series.
For South Africa, it was a chance to claim their maiden ODI series victory on Indian soil. But in the greater scheme of things, it means very little.
Both sides have qualified for the Champions Trophy already. Imagine how much more enticing a series would be if the wins actually counted towards qualification for big tournaments or if the rankings in limited-overs cricket mattered as much as they do in Test cricket?
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